People a to z

Joran van der Sloot was charged in Peru with the murder of Stephany Flores Ramirez and is suspected in the 2005 disappearance of Alabama teenager Natalee Holloway.

James Van Der Zee was a renowned, Harlem-based photographer known for his posed, storied pictures capturing African-American citizenry and celebrity.

Mona Jane Van Duyn was a National Book Award and Pulitzer Prize-winning poet and academic.

Dick Van Dyke is an American actor and comedian best known for hosting The Dick Van Dyke Show. He's also known for starring on Diagnosis Murder and for roles in films like Mary Poppins, Dick Tracy and Night at the Museum.

One of the earliest Flemish oil painters, artist and portraitist Jan van Eyck, painted the "Adoration of the Lamb," the altarpiece for the Church of St. Bavon.

Vincent van Gogh is considered the greatest Dutch painter after Rembrandt, although he remained poor and virtually unknown throughout his life.

Guitarist Eddie Van Halen gave his name and amazing talent to a band that dominated the heavy metal scene (and the top 40 charts) in the 1970s and 80s.

Leslie Van Houten was a member of Charles Manson's "Family," and was convicted of the 1969 murder of Rosemary LaBianca, orchestrated by Manson.

James Van Praagh has worked as a psychic medium and popular media figure, and is also the bestselling author of the book Talking to Heaven.

Gus Van Sant, the American director known best known for the blockbuster hit Good Will Hunting, starring Matt Damon and Ben Affleck.

Nguyen Van Thieu was elected president of South Vietnam in 1967, but was forced to flee when his government surrendered to the North in 1975.

Steven Van Zandt is best known as a founding member, guitarist and backup vocalist for Bruce Springsteen’s E Street Band and an actor on the HBO TV series The Sopranos.

Danitra Vance appeared on Saturday Night Live in 1986 and acted in films such as Limit Up and Little Man Tate.

Vivian Vance was an actress chiefly known as Ethel Murtz on the 1950s TV sitcom I Love Lucy.

Cornelius Vanderbilt was an industrialist in railroads and shipping. He had accumulated the largest fortune in the U.S. at the time of his death, in 1877.

Known for her fashion design and tumultuous personal life, actress, writer and artist Gloria Vanderbilt became an iconic figure in American popular culture during the 20th century.

The son of Cornelius Vanderbilt, William Henry Vanderbilt was a railroad magnate who doubled his family's fortune.

Comedic actor Jim Varney played his signature character Ernest P. Worrell in hundreds of commercials and five Disney films including Ernest goes to Camp (1987).

Sarah Vaughan was an American jazz vocalist known for her impressive three octave range. She was inducted into the Jazz Hall of Fame in 1990.

American actor Robert Vaughn is best known for his 1960s role as Napoleon Solo on the hit TV series The Man From U.N.C.L.E.

A preeminent bluesman, award-winning guitarist and singer Stevie Ray Vaughan earned critical and commercial success during the 1980s.

Diego Velázquez was a renowned Spanish painter and portraitist, and an icon of Western art.

J. Craig Venter is a scientist and businessperson whose gene-sequencing process led to a decoding of the human genome.

Former professional wrestler Jesse Ventura went on to a career in acting and politics, becoming the governor of Minnesota.

Giuseppe Verdi was an Italian composer who is known for several operas, including La Traviata and Aida.

Sofia Vergara starred in the Tyler Perry films Meet the Browns (2008) and Madea Goes to Jail (2009). She is also known for playing Gloria Delgado-Pritchett on ABC's Modern Family, which premiered in 2009.

Dutch Golden-Age artist Jan Vermeer is best known for his Delft paintings including "Little Street," "View of Delft" and his late "pearl pictures" like "The Concert."

Jules Verne was a 19th-century French author whose revolutionary science-fiction novels—such as Around the World in Eighty Days and Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea—have entranced readers for over a century.

Giovanni da Verrazzano was an Italian explorer who chartered the Atlantic coast of North America between the Carolinas and Newfoundland, including New York Harbor in 1524. The Verrazano-Narrows Bridge in New York was named after Da Verrazzano.

A designer to celebrities and royalty such as Princess Diana, Gianni Versace brought vitality and art to an industry considered out of touch with the street.

Denmark Vesey was a freed slave who held meetings to organize what would have been the biggest slave revolt in U.S. history.

America was named after Amerigo Vespucci, a Florentine navigator and explorer who played a prominent role in exploring the New World.

Punk rocker Sid Vicious became famous as bassist for the Sex Pistols before his entanglement with drugs and Nancy Spungen ended his career and life.

Star Atlanta Falcons quarterback Michael Vick's promising career has been tainted by illegal activities including involvement in an illegal dog-fighting ring.

Gore Vidal was best known as a prolific American writer, but was also famous for frequent talk-show appearances and witty political criticisms.

Abe Vigoda has been a popular character actor in television and film for more than four decades. He landed his film break with a role in The Godfather.

Pancho Villa was a top military leader of the Mexican Revolution whose exploits were regularly filmed by a Hollywood company.

20th century Brazilian composer Heitor Villa-Lobos’s work, including Bachianas brasileiras, brought Brazilian folk motifs to American classical music.

Hervé Villechaize was a French actor best known for playing Tattoo on the 1970s television show Fantasy Island.

Rudolf Virchow was a German pathologist and statesman, widely credited for his advancements in public health, particularly with his cell theory.

Famed Roman poet Virgil is  best known for his national epic, the Aeneid.

Antonio Vivaldi was a 17th and 18th century composer who’s become one of the most renowned figures in European classical music.

Actor Jon Voight’s role as Joe Buck in the groundbreaking film Midnight Cowboy earned him an Oscar nomination and launched his career into the big time.

Dana Vollmer is a swimmer and three-time Olympic gold medalist. She set the world record for the 100-meter butterfly at the London Olympics in 2012, and won two gold medals there.

Author Voltaire wrote the satirical novella Candide and, despite controversy during his lifetime, is widely considered one of France's greatest Enlightenment writers.

Businessman Claus Von Bulow was twice accused of attempting to kill his socialite wife, a diabetic, with doses of insulin, and was defended by Alan Dershowitz.

Wernher von Braun was a German engineer who worked on rocket technology, first for Germany and then for the United States.

Diane von Fürstenberg is one of the world's most successful fashion designers. Once married to Austro-Italian Prince Egon von Furstenberg, she designed her iconic wrap dress for the working woman.

Lindsey Vonn is an American alpine skiier who has won numerous competitions, including four World Cup overall titles. She won a gold medal in the downhill event at the 2010 Olympics.

Kurt Vonnegut was an American author best known for the novels Cat's Cradle, Slaughterhouse-Five and Breakfast of Champions.

As a fashion journaist who worked for Harper's Bazaar and Vogue, Diana Vreeland was an influential figure in American fashion during the 20th century.

Andy Wachowski is a writer, director and producer known for sci-fi and action films, including The Matrix trilogy, V for Vendetta and Cloud Atlas.

Lana Wachowski, along with brother Andy, is a producer, director and screenwriter known for The Matrix film trilogy, V for Vendetta and Cloud Atlas.

Basketball star Dwyane Wade plays as a guard for the Miami Heat, with which he has won two NBA Championships, in 2006 and 2012.

Actor Jack Wagner rose to fame as the rocker Frisco Jones on the daytime soap opera General Hospital.

Richard Wagner is best known for creating several complex operas, including Tristan and Isolde and Ring Cycle, as well as for his anti-semitic writings.

Sam J. Wagstaff was an important art curator and collector of photography. He was also a companion and benefactor of photographer Robert Mapplethorpe.

Mark Wahlberg got his start headlining the musical group Marky Mark and the Funky Bunch, later going on to a modeling career and acting success in Hollywood.

Rufus Wainwright is a Canadian American singer and songwriter best known for his pop albums Rufus Wainwright (1998) and Poses (2001).

Ralph Waite is an American actor whose most notable role was playing John Walton Sr. on the 1970s television series The Waltons.